My parents recently returned from a once-in-a-lifetime African safari. When they were heading home, a guide told them that once you’ve been to Africa, it will always be with you. Given all the medical shots they had to get before they left, it’s good to know that some things won’t always be with them.
The pictures they took are spectacular because the animals are in the comfort of their own home, not a zoo. Actually, they’re the ones that are free, while you feel as if you’re the exhibit in the zoo. And you see who’s next in the circle of life.
One song in the slide show was “Africa” by Toto. The most stirring part of the song to me is the drumming by the late Jeff Porcaro. He was a drummer’s drummer, with a genuine feel for a song. He plays the back end of the pocket here, almost delayed beyond the beat. It’s a rich sound, simple yet sophisticated, not easily duplicated.
You can go back in time by booking your trip to Africa while listening to the song through my favored 180 gram high-def vinyl, McIntosh preamp-amplifier, and Klipsch speakers.
